Tiger And The Stock Market, Redux

Nice post by Sam Weinman on the bizarro parallel lines between Tiger winning and the stock market's performance.

Buy, buy, buy!

A coincidence? Probably. But as Gary Kaminsky, the Capital Markets Editor for CNBC, said, "If you want to draw some conclusions, stock market participants who are avid golf fans become more aggressive and optimistic in thinking about their investments when Tiger wins a tournament."

Of course, as Kaminsky noted, the Nasdaq's rapid rise was more attributable to enthusiasm around tech stocks than it was Woods' superior ball-striking and clutch putting. But what's interesting is that the pattern has continued into this more unpredictable phase of Woods' career.

"All you need is one good shot with these clubs and you're hooked."

Rodney Page of the Tampa Bay Times reports on the National U.S. Pro Hickory Golf Championship.

The only professional hickory tournament was played at Temple Terrace Golf and Country Club last week.

"It appeals to a person with an historical sense of the game," said Mike Stevens, tournament director and head professional at MacDill Golf Course in Tampa. "It's how the game was originally played in this country, with wooden shafts and on older golf courses."

Paolo Quirici, a 45-year-old club professional and former PGA Europe player from Lugano, Switzerland, shot the low round of the day, 2-over-par 74. He beat out Richard Bullock and John McCann by one shot.

Quirici has been playing with the hickory clubs since September. He is in Florida for the PGA Merchandise show in Orlando and found out about the tournament through an Internet search.

The search paid off when he won the $1,500 first prize. The tournament had a $5,000 purse, the same amount offered at the 1925 Florida Open played at Temple Terrace.

A video feature accompanied the story as well:

Flashback: CBS President Doesn't Mind Slow Play

Just in case you were shedding a tear for CBS, who mandated a late re-start Monday and then saw a glacial pace send the Farmers Insurance Open more than 30 minutes past the planned conclusion, remember what CBS Sports President Sean McManus told Ed Sherman last August:

I’m not terribly concerned about it. Having watched a lot of golf this year, I know (slow play) has been a topic of discussion. But I haven’t seen it affect too many of the broadcasts. If they play slow because of the course conditions being tough at Kiawah, it adds to the drama.

And as many of you noted yesterday, when they play slow because they are slow, it drains drama right out of the telecast.

Anchoring Ban Polling: Ban And Ban It ASAP

We've had some nice response numbers for various anchoring polls and while those on this site would never be called scientific, they are nonetheless revealing. With last week's prior to the PGA Tour player meeting, I thought it'd be worth revisiting the various polls.

Golfdatatech found that 60% of golfers support the ban.

In one GeoffShackelford.com poll before the anchoring ban announcement, 69% were in favor of anchoring from 974 votes. 

The number slightly dropped to 65% of 1,346 votes after the proposed 14-1b announcement.

And you may recall way back when asking about the possible rule change, bifurcation was on the polling table and 31% of 605 votes were for bifurcation.

When the question was posed about timing of the anchoring ban, 41% of 723 votes were for an October 2013 start (when the 2013-'14 season starts). 31% were for bifurcation, presumably to let average golfers to anchor while pros lost the privilege.

And last week 80% of you out of over 500 votes were in favor of a ban applying to the PGA Tour, with a 2013-14 start for Tour play edging 2016 43% to 37%.

Just based on these numbers, it's hard to see how the governing bodies come out of the "comment period" without solid feedback to reiterate their stance. I'm sure Nate Silver has a word for this, but I'm not far enough along in his book to tell you what it is!

Southern Hills Still Hopeful For U.S. Open

Ken MacLeod reports on where 2020 U.S. Open hopeful Southern Hills goes from here now that Winged Foot landed the national championship.

"It was disappointing," said Southern Hills General Manager Nick Sidorkis. "We knew it was coming down to us and Winged Foot. "They are two great courses with great tradition. Obviously Tulsa is not the same as New York when it comes to corporate hospitality potential, but we know that we can hold a successful championship."

Sidorakis said Southern Hills remains committed to the pursuit of another U.S. Open Championship and is hopeful about 2021 or 2022. He said the club would not give up and pursue other majors or tournaments unless told by the USGA that it was not interested, which has not happened.

Farmers Final Round Pace Of Play

Tiger Woods, after winning his 75th PGA Tour event and 7th tour event at Torrey Pines in the Farmers Insurance Open, on the pace of play Monday:

TIGER WOODS:  Well, the group ahead of us was a hole behind most of the entire back nine.  I don't know if they were warned or not or they were timed.  But we were just playing slow.  We were just having to wait on every shot, so it got a little slow.

The three of us were losing our patience a little bit out there.  I certainly was.  Unfortunately, it affected my play a little bit.

Here's a fun and useless fact that I put in my Golf World game story from Torrey: it took the Woods threesome 3 hours and 45 minutes to complete their final 11 holes playing behind Erik Compton, Brad Fritsch and Steve Marino who were more than a hole behind by the end.

The 2008 U.S. Open playoff between Woods and Rocco Mediate was 19 holes and took 4 hours and 33 minutes. And they took their sweet time that day!

2013 Farmers Insurance Open Final Round Comment Thread

Tiger Woods (-17) is through seven holes of his Monday-finish final round, leading Brandt Snedeker (-11 thru 13) and Nick Watney (-11 thru 8).

Golf Channel shows and streams the coverage at 11:10 am PT, while CBS airs and streams the coverage beginning at 1 PT.

Tiger On All Cylinders: "I've driven the ball well, I've hit my irons well, and I've chipped and putted well."

Having watched him a fair amount but much less than some of my peers, Tiger's game looks as complete as it has since, well, you know when.

He has a six stroke lead with ten holes to play in Monday's Farmers Insurance Open.

Broadcast times are as follows:11 am PT on Golf Channel, 1 pm ET on CBS. And streaming live for the office workers of America.

2020 U.S. Open Goes To Winged Foot

Doug Ferguson reports that Winged Foot's West Course will be hosting the 2020 U.S. Open.

This will be Winged Foot's sixth U.S. Open (1929, 1959, 1974, 1984, 2006).

Update on 2013-01-28 03:27 by Geoff

**Peter McCleery's oral history of the wacky 1974 U.S. Open is worth a look.

And Dan Jenkins on the 2006 finish.

Update on 2013-01-28 17:48 by Geoff

**For Immediate Release...

USGA NAMES WINGED FOOT GOLF CLUB AS 2020 U.S. OPEN SITE

Marks the Sixth U.S. Open and 12th USGA Championship

At the Historic Suburban New York Club

Far Hills, N.J. (Jan. 28, 2013) – Reflecting its continuing commitment to deliver the most compelling championship experience in golf to players and fans, the United States Golf Association (USGA) today announced Winged Foot Golf Club, in Mamaroneck, N.Y., as the host site for the 2020 United States Open Championship.

“We’re thrilled to bring the U.S. Open back to this outstanding club,” said Thomas J. O’Toole Jr., USGA vice president and Championship Committee chairman. “Winged Foot offers a spectacular setting in a dynamic market, and has justifiably earned its reputation as one of the premier U.S. Open venues in the nation. And it joins an impressive lineup of future U.S. Open Championship locations that players and fans alike can eagerly anticipate.”

This selection marks the sixth time that the West Course at Winged Foot will have hosted the U.S. Open. This will also be the 12th USGA championship conducted at Winged Foot, all but three of which were held on the West Course. The dates for the 2020 U.S. Open are June 18-21.

“Winged Foot is a quintessential U.S. Open golf course, and we’re thrilled to have the opportunity to bring our national championship back to a site that boasts such a long tradition of world-class competition,” said Mike Davis, USGA executive director. “With its wonderfully challenging green complexes and dogleg holes that emphasize proper placement off the tee, Winged Foot offers the best players in the world a spectacular test of golf and delivers to spirited New York golf fans one of the most exciting venues in the game.”

Winged Foot Golf Club, located 25 miles north of New York City in Westchester County, last hosted the U.S. Open in 2006, when Geoff Ogilvy outlasted Phil Mickelson, Colin Montgomerie and Jim Furyk for a one-stroke victory. The club also hosted the U.S. Open in 1929 (won by Robert T. Jones Jr.), 1959 (won by Billy Casper), 1974 (won by Hale Irwin) and 1984 (won by Fuzzy Zoeller). Each U.S. Open at Winged Foot has produced a highly competitive championship, as Jones and Zoeller won in playoffs, while Casper and Irwin registered the first of their multiple U.S. Open victories by narrow margins.

“Winged Foot Golf Club is truly honored to have the USGA select it as the host of the 2020 U.S. Open,” club president John Schneider said. “The club’s relationship with the USGA goes back to 1929 when Bob Jones defeated Al Espinosa to win the U.S. Open in a playoff. The relationship has been cherished by both ever since. Our two A.W. Tillinghast courses have always risen to the challenge of identifying the greatest golfers in the world. Tillinghast’s vision has truly stood the test of time and Winged Foot anxiously awaits its next group of challengers.”

Winged Foot joins Oakmont (Pa.) Country Club, Baltusrol Golf Club, in Springfield, N.J., Oakland Hills Country Club, in Bloomfield Hills, Mich., and Pebble Beach (Calif.) Golf Links as clubs that have hosted the most U.S. Opens. Oakmont is scheduled to host the U.S. Open for a ninth time in 2016. Baltusrol conducted its seventh U.S. Open in 1993, while Oakland Hills hosted its sixth U.S. Open in 1996 and Pebble Beach is scheduled to host its sixth U.S. Open in 2019.

Winged Foot opened for play in 1923 and has a rich and storied history. Beyond its five U.S. Open championships, the East and West courses have combined to host six other USGA championships. The West Course hosted two U.S. Amateurs (1940, 2004) and the 1949 Walker Cup. The East Course hosted two U.S. Women’s Opens (1957, 1972) and the first U.S. Senior Open, held in 1980. The West Course also hosted the 1997 PGA Championship.

The 2020 U.S. Open at Winged Foot Golf Club will be the 20th U.S. Open played in the state of New York, the most of any state. Future U.S. Open sites are: Merion Golf Club (East Course), Ardmore, Pa. (2013); Pinehurst Resort (Course No. 2), Village of Pinehurst, N.C. (2014); Chambers Bay, University Place, Wash. (2015); Oakmont (Pa.) Country Club (2016); Erin Hills, Erin, Wis. (2017); Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, Southampton, N.Y. (2018); and Pebble Beach (Calif.) Golf Links (2019).

Farmers Insurance Open 3rd Round Open Thread

I've just come in from the course where Tiger is cruising and looking as calm, collected and steady as he's looked in a long time. Plus, it's Fleming's lunch day in the media center. #priorities

As I post, the Golf Channel-to-CBS graphics changeover is taking place, but I just have a hunch CBS will come on and show us plenty of shots of the Adidas gliders, slip in a few promos and even show some golfers not named Tiger.

Golf Channel picks up the early fourth round coverage after CBS signs off at 7 ET.

Monday's final roud restart time has not been announced.